The Loving Curse
Mirror is an outcast of her race. Now she is not accepted by anyone so she must run from the danger that lurks around her. Would she ever find forgiveness or love?
The clucking of her tongue paused only for a moment as headlights threatened to evade the shadows the kept her hidden. Before they could intervene however they turned to the right and missed her, barely. They would be coming for her soon though, she knew this. It was the reason why she had called Char. He would know what to do, he always did.
"Mirror." A man's hushed voice rang out through her ears as if he had shouted. The tone of his voice was easy to make out, distain.
She turned barely a fraction of an inch and replied with a growing smile on her lips. "My dear brother, I have missed you greatly." She could barely make out an outline of the figure in the dark, yet she knew without being able to see, that he was grimacing.
As he neared her and the moonlit ally cast its glow upon his face it was clear that her notions were correct. His pupils were heavily dilated and were surrounded with the familiar red spiral; it was the mark of the Gray. Before he replied he let out a sarcastic grunt and shook his head at her. "What do you want?"
Looking stricken Mirror took a step toward her brother with her hands out to him. "Why is it that you carry hard feelings for me?"
"I'm not the one who left." The red spirals were on the verge of turning completely black, not a good sign.
"Forgive me?" Mirror stroked her brother's cheeks, ignoring the hardness of his expression. He shook his head free of her grasp and fell back a step.
"No. Again, what do you want?"
She swallowed and shrugged knowing he was probably not going to help her, not this time, not again. "They have detected me."
For a moment she thought he was going to strangle her but as soon as his expression faltered he caught himself. "Not my problem." With that he turned and started to walk away. Tears began to swim in the brim of her eyes as she started but then silenced, knowing it was no good. She had lost her chances with the Grays, it was all her fault too. Before he disappeared into the arms of the night he stopped abruptly and turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. "The watch house is in Silverwoone. This is our last goodbye sister."
Mirror stared after her brother, halfway surprised that he had given her another chance. Footsteps rustled behind her in the distance as the sounds of chains rattled. There was no time to dwindle on her brother or her mistakes, it was time to run.
She ran and ran until after her feet felt like heavyweights and yet they were still gaining on her. Beads of sweat dripped from her hair line as she swerved in and out of the trees of Like Forest, or at least she thought it was Like Forest. If there had been a sun it would have been past dawn by now, but the clouds above distorted its rays, making it impossible to tell what time it was. Silverwoone was hopefully soon up ahead, but it was hard to tell with her lack of Gray gifts. Besides friends and family that's what she missed the most was the abilities; the gifts to see for several more miles than what these eyes could see, the gift that allowed her to run at high speeds through any terrain, and the gift of music.
A crystal city sparkled with transparent lights now abstracted her view, she was close. About another ten miles and- CLUMP! Pain reared its ugly head into her knee cap as she fell on a large pointed rock. To say it hurt would be an understatement. The sounds of hooves and hushed chants grew nearer as she tried desperately to run again. The best she could do was a slow hop, however. Was this the end? Really, after everything she had been through and given up, she was going to die in the hands of mere servants? Huh, it felt so weird to be privileged with the knowledge of when and where and how you were going to die. Knowing that she would never make it to the city, Mirror stopped beside a large oak tree whose limbs were badly decayed and leaned against it, gasping for air. Wild wisps of dark hair clumped on her forehead, her mother had always said she had the color of hair of that of a ravens. Looking back she wished she had her mother now, to hold her and to kiss her forehead like she did when she got a cut when she was a child. Mirror's father had never been the affectionate type and had always told her to be strong. Would he be ashamed of me if he saw me now, waiting for death to come?
Why did she always disappoint the ones that loved her? For the second time in the past twenty-four hours she felt the warm disgrace of tears as they distort her vision. They were so close to her now, she could almost see their hollow eyes and their black faces. What will be like to have their chilled lifeless hands touch her?
WHOOOOSH! Something hard crashed into her then jerked her without mercy to the left, in the solidity of a buddle of tall trees. Lying on the leafy ground she tried to breathe but the fall had taken her breath. "Shut up and stay low." A voice commanded her with such authority that it raised the hair along her neck. The Others were too close for comfort by this time. She heard the raising and falling of their chests as they inhaled the mists that flowed around them. All she could do was watch and stay silent as their large molded horses past by, their hooves close enough to stomp on the ends of her hair.
Mirror concentrated frantically on holding her breath, afraid the chilled air would arouse unwanted puffs of mist. Soon they past yet she held her composer not yet trusting that she was safe. It seemed like a century before she finally able to stand. "Hello?" Her eyes flutter around the area, searching for the one who had saved her. At last a large shimmer caught her eye and she turned to the left to discover a figure coming into existence. A large man, probably middle age, preoccupied the space. His sandy color hair didn't quite seem to match the darkness of his almost black eyes. With a grunt he rubbed his large belly with a look of disgust written in the wrinkles on his bulgy forehead.
"What da' hell ya' doin' out here girl?" His speech was slow and rough, she wondered if he had a speech impediment.
Mirror delayed an answer as she shook the dirt off her jeans, irritated to find that there was another large rip among the several tears in the fabric. Can't anything go right for a change? Without looking up at him, she shrugged her shoulders and answered as if she were discussing the weather.
"I'm going to Silverwoone." Diverting her eyes she pretended she hadn't caught the glimmer of disapproval in his expression.
The towering man loomed over like a dark cloud as he walked closer to her, pointing his sausage for a finger at her chest. "An' why would Mirror Aura be a doing a thing like 'dat?" Seeing her stricken expression he chuckled without humor. "Oh yea, I know ya and don't ya think for a second that I am dumb enough to let ya in our city. Now run along and find somewhere else ta go."
A pain in her chest caught her attention and she suddenly realized she hadn't exhaled. As she let out the breath of kept air she cursed mentally, who the hell was this guy? Did it really matter now though? Mirror looked in the direction that they had left and wondered idly if it would have been better to have them take her. Why prolong the invertible?
"Oh." That's all she said, what was there to say? Mirror didn't dare look at the man. She knew what his expression would read, hatred, revulsion, and, the worst of all, pity. Before she left, however, she turned and bowed her head with her fist over her chest, showing the respect of the Gray. "Thank you."
The gratitude seemed to catch him by surprise yet he recovered the slip hurriedly and merely snorted. Then she did what she had been doing for the past three years, she searched for protection, yet this time she knew she might as well be looking for the cup of immortality. Who would accept her? She wouldn't allow herself to linger in self pity though, instead she concentrated on the beaten path in front of her.
She felt as though all the life had been sucked out of her. No hope left to even fuel the desire to hide when she heard a few faint rustling of bushes nearby. Silverwoone had been her only and last chance. Maybe she deserved this, maybe this was her punishment. To never belong, to never be loved and to never settle.
"Mirror." A man's hushed voice rang out through her ears as if he had shouted. The tone of his voice was easy to make out, distain.
She turned barely a fraction of an inch and replied with a growing smile on her lips. "My dear brother, I have missed you greatly." She could barely make out an outline of the figure in the dark, yet she knew without being able to see, that he was grimacing.
As he neared her and the moonlit ally cast its glow upon his face it was clear that her notions were correct. His pupils were heavily dilated and were surrounded with the familiar red spiral; it was the mark of the Gray. Before he replied he let out a sarcastic grunt and shook his head at her. "What do you want?"
Looking stricken Mirror took a step toward her brother with her hands out to him. "Why is it that you carry hard feelings for me?"
"I'm not the one who left." The red spirals were on the verge of turning completely black, not a good sign.
"Forgive me?" Mirror stroked her brother's cheeks, ignoring the hardness of his expression. He shook his head free of her grasp and fell back a step.
"No. Again, what do you want?"
She swallowed and shrugged knowing he was probably not going to help her, not this time, not again. "They have detected me."
For a moment she thought he was going to strangle her but as soon as his expression faltered he caught himself. "Not my problem." With that he turned and started to walk away. Tears began to swim in the brim of her eyes as she started but then silenced, knowing it was no good. She had lost her chances with the Grays, it was all her fault too. Before he disappeared into the arms of the night he stopped abruptly and turned his head to look at her over his shoulder. "The watch house is in Silverwoone. This is our last goodbye sister."
Mirror stared after her brother, halfway surprised that he had given her another chance. Footsteps rustled behind her in the distance as the sounds of chains rattled. There was no time to dwindle on her brother or her mistakes, it was time to run.
She ran and ran until after her feet felt like heavyweights and yet they were still gaining on her. Beads of sweat dripped from her hair line as she swerved in and out of the trees of Like Forest, or at least she thought it was Like Forest. If there had been a sun it would have been past dawn by now, but the clouds above distorted its rays, making it impossible to tell what time it was. Silverwoone was hopefully soon up ahead, but it was hard to tell with her lack of Gray gifts. Besides friends and family that's what she missed the most was the abilities; the gifts to see for several more miles than what these eyes could see, the gift that allowed her to run at high speeds through any terrain, and the gift of music.
A crystal city sparkled with transparent lights now abstracted her view, she was close. About another ten miles and- CLUMP! Pain reared its ugly head into her knee cap as she fell on a large pointed rock. To say it hurt would be an understatement. The sounds of hooves and hushed chants grew nearer as she tried desperately to run again. The best she could do was a slow hop, however. Was this the end? Really, after everything she had been through and given up, she was going to die in the hands of mere servants? Huh, it felt so weird to be privileged with the knowledge of when and where and how you were going to die. Knowing that she would never make it to the city, Mirror stopped beside a large oak tree whose limbs were badly decayed and leaned against it, gasping for air. Wild wisps of dark hair clumped on her forehead, her mother had always said she had the color of hair of that of a ravens. Looking back she wished she had her mother now, to hold her and to kiss her forehead like she did when she got a cut when she was a child. Mirror's father had never been the affectionate type and had always told her to be strong. Would he be ashamed of me if he saw me now, waiting for death to come?
Why did she always disappoint the ones that loved her? For the second time in the past twenty-four hours she felt the warm disgrace of tears as they distort her vision. They were so close to her now, she could almost see their hollow eyes and their black faces. What will be like to have their chilled lifeless hands touch her?
WHOOOOSH! Something hard crashed into her then jerked her without mercy to the left, in the solidity of a buddle of tall trees. Lying on the leafy ground she tried to breathe but the fall had taken her breath. "Shut up and stay low." A voice commanded her with such authority that it raised the hair along her neck. The Others were too close for comfort by this time. She heard the raising and falling of their chests as they inhaled the mists that flowed around them. All she could do was watch and stay silent as their large molded horses past by, their hooves close enough to stomp on the ends of her hair.
Mirror concentrated frantically on holding her breath, afraid the chilled air would arouse unwanted puffs of mist. Soon they past yet she held her composer not yet trusting that she was safe. It seemed like a century before she finally able to stand. "Hello?" Her eyes flutter around the area, searching for the one who had saved her. At last a large shimmer caught her eye and she turned to the left to discover a figure coming into existence. A large man, probably middle age, preoccupied the space. His sandy color hair didn't quite seem to match the darkness of his almost black eyes. With a grunt he rubbed his large belly with a look of disgust written in the wrinkles on his bulgy forehead.
"What da' hell ya' doin' out here girl?" His speech was slow and rough, she wondered if he had a speech impediment.
Mirror delayed an answer as she shook the dirt off her jeans, irritated to find that there was another large rip among the several tears in the fabric. Can't anything go right for a change? Without looking up at him, she shrugged her shoulders and answered as if she were discussing the weather.
"I'm going to Silverwoone." Diverting her eyes she pretended she hadn't caught the glimmer of disapproval in his expression.
The towering man loomed over like a dark cloud as he walked closer to her, pointing his sausage for a finger at her chest. "An' why would Mirror Aura be a doing a thing like 'dat?" Seeing her stricken expression he chuckled without humor. "Oh yea, I know ya and don't ya think for a second that I am dumb enough to let ya in our city. Now run along and find somewhere else ta go."
A pain in her chest caught her attention and she suddenly realized she hadn't exhaled. As she let out the breath of kept air she cursed mentally, who the hell was this guy? Did it really matter now though? Mirror looked in the direction that they had left and wondered idly if it would have been better to have them take her. Why prolong the invertible?
"Oh." That's all she said, what was there to say? Mirror didn't dare look at the man. She knew what his expression would read, hatred, revulsion, and, the worst of all, pity. Before she left, however, she turned and bowed her head with her fist over her chest, showing the respect of the Gray. "Thank you."
The gratitude seemed to catch him by surprise yet he recovered the slip hurriedly and merely snorted. Then she did what she had been doing for the past three years, she searched for protection, yet this time she knew she might as well be looking for the cup of immortality. Who would accept her? She wouldn't allow herself to linger in self pity though, instead she concentrated on the beaten path in front of her.
She felt as though all the life had been sucked out of her. No hope left to even fuel the desire to hide when she heard a few faint rustling of bushes nearby. Silverwoone had been her only and last chance. Maybe she deserved this, maybe this was her punishment. To never belong, to never be loved and to never settle.
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